Democrats seek redo of health pitch

Supporters of health care reform are hoping to use the GOP repeal effort this week to defend and explain the law, using a unified voice and a personal touch.

House Republicans are set to begin debate Tuesday on repeal. A vote is scheduled for Wednesday after a week of delay to honor victims of the shootings in Tucson. Wednesday’s vote, which is mainly symbolic for Republicans because it faces promised opposition in the Senate, still gives Democrats a second chance to defend their landmark legislation — and the first substantial chance to show a united front on health reform.

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“We welcome, in a certain sense, their attempt to repeal it because it gives us a second chance to make a first impression,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He said the debate will allow Democrats to talk about “the good things that didn’t get a real airing during the sturm und drang of the debate.”

During floor debate, House Democrats plan to share stories of people who have benefited from the legislation — and issue a warning that those people would be hurt if the law is repealed. Internal polling by pro-reform groups such as Families USA has found that personal stories are more effective than a list of consumer-friendly provisions.

Today, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee plans to hold a hearing with consumers, an attempt to allow more personal stories to be heard and to underline the lack of hearings Republicans have held on repeal.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said there is an “opportunity for education” during the repeal debate.

The pieces of the law that have already gone into effect allow for “a more productive conversation than when the bill was being drafted, because the bill was so intangible to people. That conversation is easier now,” she told the University of Miami Global Business Forum on Thursday.

The Department of Health and Human Services is releasing a report today that shows the potential impact of repealing the ban on insurers’ denying customers over pre-existing conditions. The report found that anywhere from 50 million to 129 million — or up to half of Americans under 65 — have some kind of pre-existing condition.

The Democrats’ message is also more cohesive now than the last time they voted on the legislation. Gone is last year’s contentious intraparty fighting over the public option, tax subsidies and dozens of other issues. Now, Democrats are united in defending the law.

Only four Democrats voted with Republicans in a procedural vote on the health debate this month. Nine other Democrats — all “no” votes on the Affordable Care Act — voted with their party this time on the procedural measure, arguing that there are at least pieces of the law that they support. They said they plan to vote against repeal.